Montessori Preschool - What Sets the Standard?

The Montessori Preschool program is committed to keeping their promise to promote the learning methods that Maria Montessori established nearly a century ago. However, while a school can say they follow the Montessori dogma, they may not be as close a follower as you may think. So how do you choose which one is the best Montessori school for your preschooler? You must make sure to find out whether or not they are accredited and that they have the authority to claim that they are indeed a Montessori school.

The Montessori Method

One thing to consider is the fact that Montessori schools allow the child to pursue their education at their own pace and method, while traditional schools will force your child to adhere to a specific curriculum and criteria. If the school follows a definite curriculum that applies to all students, it is not a true Montessori school. Students that attend real Montessori schools are allowed to create their own school schedule and time allotment while traditional schools do the opposite.

The Benefits

Most Montessori schools have classrooms that allow children to have an environment where they are provided with several learning activities that they can choose from, in order to gain the necessary knowledge. They will actively be involved in their education as they work at their own pace and can learn what they want when they feel ready to do so.

A great difference in traditional and Montessori classrooms is that while normal classes include a teacher who teaches what they feel is necessary while the students slowly detach from the lesson, Montessori classes have teachers who are there to merely guide the student when they sway from their learning direction. While most traditional schools have a definite system for reward and punishment, Montessori schools let the child make rewards and punishments for themselves.

Finding the Right Preschool

Because these preschools are beginning to expand all over countries, some are starting to narrow down their basic goals to the point where each school is established for a different purpose or study of work than the Montessori Method. So how do you make sure that your preschooler is in the appropriate school for them?

Make it a point to find a school that is accredited, and that can show the proper documentation to prove they follow the Montessori Method of teaching and they follow the variety of learning and progression activities established for learning at Montessori schools.

Also be sure that the school is safe for your child by taking extensive care of students who enter. Once again, the teachers must show that they are not there to teach or enforce learning on a student, but are there to simply see that actual learning is taking place. At Montessori schools, your student should have the opportunity to learn whenever and however they can. So if there is any sign of certain rules and curriculum being applied to the class as a whole, it may not be the Montessori school you want for your child.

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